“The XPS3/XPS2 is a lightweight, non-magnifying optical sight designed for Close Quarter Battle,” reads the Operator’s Manual from L3 EOTech, Inc. This description fits their newest HWS (Holographic Weapon Sight) the XPS2 and XPS3, and indeed that description fits their entire line.

Time-to-target in a gunfight is an important consideration. Getting that first shot on target as well as quick follow-up shots should be based on skill at arms. The fundamentals of rifle fire—Platform (stance), Grip, Presentation, Sight Alignment and Sight Picture, Trigger Management, Breathing, Follow-through, and Recovery work together to create accurate fire on target. Using the iron sights on a battle rifle requires sight alignment—coordinating the front and rear sights and sight picture, which is placing the aligned sights on target. With a holographic or collimator sight like the XPS3 from EOTech, that alignment process is streamlined. The reticle, a laser-created dot and circle, is projected upon a view-through glass lens. An EOTech requires no eye relief and is parallax free. Simply put, based on a motor program (commonly referred to as muscle memory) you raise the rifle to eye level and fire when the reticle is on target.

Not a tube, but a “windshield” measuring 1.20” x 0.85” through which the shooter looks, the XPS-3 has a wide field of view. This windshield provides a greater field viewable downrange, than does looking through a tube. The shooter sees 30 yards of target area at 100 yards. The standard reticle from EOTech is a large 65 MOA outer circle with four “tick” marks at the compass points and a single 1 MOA dot at the center. The XPS3 is available as the 65 MOA circle with a one MOA dot, single MOA dot only or with two 1 MOA dots inside the 65 MOA circle. The XPS2 only comes with the circle and single dot combo.